State Representative Clay Doggett (R-Pulaski) on Monday said that Oscar Brock, the Tennessee Republican Party Executive Committee member and committeeman to the National Republican Committee (RNC), who said he would stop supporting Republican incumbents over the federal government shutdown, “should not continue to serve” the party.
Doggett said in a statement to The Tennessee Star that it is “a great responsibility” for Republican Party officials to support its elected representatives, and called Brock’s statement “a great disappointment.”
He referenced the October comments posted to social media by Brock, who suggested Republicans should have been “negotiating” and “compromising” with Democrats to pass a bipartisan budget, and wrote, “I’m not going to support ANY member of Congress who runs for reelection next year.”
Doggett (pictured above) told The Star that refusing to support Republicans was not the correct move for a party official.
“We should be supporting our folks even in the darkest and most difficult times. Instead of pulling all support, he should have offered encouragement to our congressional delegation,” said the lawmaker.
He told The Star, “My personal opinion is that he should not continue to serve in that capacity and should be replaced.”
Doggett is the second Republican in the Tennessee General Assembly to call for Brock’s resignation, following State Representative Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby), who said Brock should “step aside until he decides where he truly belongs,” in a Thursday statement to The Star. Faison is the caucus chair for the Tennessee House Republicans.
Calls for Brock’s resignation have additionally emerged from outside the legislature, as Tennessee-based documentary filmmaker and former congressional candidate Robby Starbuck said on Friday that Brock “must be replaced.”
Aaron Gulbransen, the former reporter for The Star who now leads the Tennessee Conservative Coalition, has additionally suggested Brock’s statement may have represented a de facto resignation.
“Is that his official resignation letter?” Gulbransen questioned, “he’s saying he is not going to support any of the congressmen.”
The calls began with Michael Patrick Leahy, the editor-in-chief of The Star, who last week urged Brock to retract his statement or resign from his party positions.
“Mr. Brock, as a member of the executive committee of the Tennessee Republican Party and as the Tennessee Representative to the Republican National Committee, has a duty to support Republican nominees for office in the State of Tennessee,” said Leahy. “Mr. Brock needs to either retract his statement, or resign from the executive committee of the Tennessee Republican Party.”
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Oscar Brock” by Oscar Brock.
Interesting read on the latest Tennessee GOP dispute—this piece lays out the comments, reactions, and broader party tension in a clear way. If you’re following state politics and want more context on how internal Republican disagreements are shaping the conversation, this article is worth a look. I appreciate how it connects the local response with the bigger question of party loyalty during a federal shutdown.
It’s essential for party officials to support elected representatives, even during challenging times. Doggett’s stance on Brock’s comments highlights the importance of unity and encouragement within the Republican Party.